Exploring On and Off the Natchez Trace

&Exploring On Off the Natchez Trace

By Debi Lander

Natchez Trace Parkway Entrance at the Double Arch Bridge

The Natchez Trace Parkway, a 444-mile historic trail running through three states, became part of the U.S. National Park system in 1938. As you might expect, the Parkway makes an ideal road trip combining scenic vistas with numerous historical markers and recreation sites. Break up the drive and choose regional hiking, biking, horseback riding, and camping options. Or, do what my travel buddy and I did, drive the length and spend nights in big cities and small towns just off the highway, indulging in the tastes of the South.

“The Trace” originated as a buffalo trail before trodden by the Natchez, Choctaw, and Chickasaw tribes, early European explorers, Ohio Valley riverboat traders, soldiers, slaves, and future presidents. Travel took about 35 days by foot, 25 days on horseback. Later the route was widened for wagons and eventually abandoned in favor of steamboats. By the Civil War, the trail was almost forgotten. However, they fought some skirmishes and battles in the vicinity.

Fortunately, preservation groups stepped in to save and restore the roadway. Currently, the National Park Service maintains the tract from Natchez, Mississippi to Nashville, Tennessee. Some folks attempt to drive the two-lane road, with a maximum speed limit of 50 mph in one day, but Judy and I made it into a week-long journey.

Nashville, Tennessee

We started with a rental car in Music City and toured Nashville’s full-scale replica of the original Parthenon in Greece. Then, we checked out the live musicians playing in the downtown honky-tonks along Broadway. With advance tickets, we enjoyed a toe-tapping evening performance of country music at the Grand Ole Opry.

The next morning, we headed to the Parkway’s entrance, but not before stopping for breakfast at a Nashville institution, the Loveless Café. You can’t beat their famous buttermilk biscuits and slow-cured country ham. Some days the Loveless bakes up to

10,000 home-made biscuits. Pick up some takeaway for snacking as the tree-lined Trace offers no gas stations, convenience stores, or hotels. However, you’ll find public restrooms and mile markers (MM) running from 444 in Nashville down zero in Natchez.

About an hour down the road, stop by the Merriweather Lewis Monument (MM385). Meriwether Lewis of Lewis and Clark fame died under mysterious circumstances at Grinder’s stand. His grave marker features a cut-off column signifying a life cut short at just 35 years. Stretch your legs on a hiking trail or browse the exhibits.

Civil War buffs should consider detouring off the Trace to see the famous battlefields at Corinth, Shiloh, or Vicksburg.

Toward Tupelo

Heading toward Tupelo, we paused for a walk along the Old Trace’s footpath, imagining how vulnerable travelers felt some 200 years ago. I spied a group of motorcyclists placing flags on the nearby Confederate graves with stone markers.

The Parkway Headquarters and Visitor Center provides a must-see educational opportunity. We took the time to watch the well-produced introductory film and browsed the displays covering the trail’s 10,000-year history.

We soon took the Tupelo exit. Now was the time to pay homage to Elvis, the hometown boy who made big dreams come true. Tupelo’s pride, the Elvis Presley Birthplace Museum, includes the Presley two-room shotgun house and a memorabilia museum from Elvis’ early years. The grounds display some fantastic statues.

We spent a night downtown finding colorful murals, guitar-shaped artworks, and Tupelo Hardware, the place Elvis’ Mama bought him his first guitar. Dinner and live music at the Blue Canoe, a gastro-pub, completed our day. The next morning, we fueled up at the King Chicken Fillin’ Station with a breakfast fit for the King, aka Elvis.

Back on the Trace heading South, we found the French Camp Historical Village, one of the few restaurants on the Parkway, and discovered an early American log cabin village. The museum and other buildings are typically open Monday through Saturday.

The name Kosciusko, Mississippi (Kahz-Choos-ko) intrigued us, so we stopped at the Kosciusko Information Center, finding a small museum about the Polish General. According to signage, his military genius and engineering played a vital role in our Revolutionary War’s success. Restrooms are available here.

Jackson

Jackson (MM100), the Mississippi state capital, sits

just 10 miles off the Trace and makes another ideal place for an overnight stop. We left the calm ease of driving the two-lane Parkway and entered high-speed interstate traffic, carefully merging with the oncoming vehicles. Once at the Capitol building, we followed a self-tour using the visitor brochure as our guide. Plenty of marble and grandeur in this domed structure.

Jackson also offers two eye-opening museums in one: the hands-on Mississippi History Museum and the interactive Mississippi Civil Rights Museum. We found eight interactive galleries with striking images and displays. Seven of the galleries encircle a central space, highlighted by a sculpture called “This Little Light of Mine.” You move from the darkened galleries into the light as you work your way around the museum. The sculpture becomes brightest when the music of the Movement swells, about every 15 minutes. I found myself pulled in by the clapping, swaying, and singing. That’s a good thing because the museum tells poignant, often tearful tales. The two attractions jointly cover 200,000 square feet and include 22,000 artifacts. You’ll need at least half a day to do them justice.

On a lighter note, we found terrific ice cream treats at Brent’s Drugs. Brent’s, an old-fashion pharmacy and soda fountain took us back to our childhood days. The place opened in 1946 and feels and looks like a time capsule complete with real soda jerks. No surprise, they filmed many scenes in the movie “The Help” there.

Back on the Trace

We made one more detour because I wanted to photograph the

Windsor Ruins that lie smack in kudzu covered territory. The ruins are all that remain of what was once a palatial mansion, but they make a haunting sight, a favorite of photographers.

off to read the many historical markers. We saw trails, lakes, and numerous Indian mounds. National Park Ranger, Jane Farmer, Chief of Interpretation, told us. “Don’t pass by Emerald Mound (MM10). They remain the second-largest Indian mound in the U.S.”

Onward to Natchez

We finally reached Natchez, ready to bask in elegance and charm. Historic homes showcase antebellum splendor with costumed, knowledgeable guides who share the houses, families, and the city’s history. We learned that Natchez was the wealthiest town per capita in the U.S. from about 1820 to 1860.

We couldn’t wait to tour some of the homes. Longwood, the grand dame, tells an equally grand tale. They designed the immense octagonal house to show off wealth, but they only completed the lower floor. The Civil War ruined the builder’s fortune.

Greek Revival Stanton Hall, built in the 1850s by a cotton merchant, remains the most opulent antebellum mansion in town, covering an entire block. Rosalie Mansion overlooks the river on the site of Fort Rosalie. During the Civil War, the home and grounds served as Union Army headquarters.

However, there’s so much more to Natchez than the remnants of old wealth. Don’t leave until you’ve gone down by the river’s edge. Natchez Under-the-Hill presents a row of riverfront restaurants and shops far tamer than the brothels, taverns, and gambling halls that stood there 200 years ago. We celebrated the completion of our eventful journey overlooking the river.

What to Know if You Go:

• Visit the National Park website for all park openings and closings. • Cell phones may not work everywhere. • Bicycle riding along the Trace is for experienced riders, families with young children. The road is just two lanes wide.

• Three primitive campgrounds are free and available on a first-come, first serve basis. They do not offer electricity, showers, or dump stations.

Photos (From opposite top):Mississippi State Capitol in Jackson; Interior of the Dome in the MS Capitol; Windsor Ruins near Port Gibson, MS; Confederate Grave along the Old Trace; (This page from top): The Grand Dame of Natchez, Longwood; Rosalie Manor in Natchez; Interior of a Natchez Mansion; Mississippi River at sunset, Natchez